With the development of mobile devices, wearables, Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tags and readers, contactless data exchanges have become ubiquitous. NFC (Near-Field Communication) is an example RFID protocol that uses radio waves to send and/or receive data. Some mobile devices (e.g. smart phones, tablets) have integrated hardware to allow for contactless data exchanges consistent with NFC, for example.
In some contexts, a contactless data exchange is executed to obtain building access, sharing media, or completing a purchase, for example. In these exchanges, the data may be communicated by a mobile device or a smartwatch to a contactless module. In addition, a user may confirm her desire to exchange the data by entering a confirmation code or an authentication number.
Smartwatches generally include smaller interfaces than smartphones or other mobile devices. For example, a screen (and overlayed touchscreen) of a smartphone may be approximately 10 cm by 7 cm, while a screen (and overlayed touchscreen) of a smartwatch may be approximately 3 cm by 3 cm. With fingertips in excess of 1.5 cm, entering data into a smartwatch can be cumbersome and error-prone. In recognition of this problem, data is often entered into smartwatches via a smartphone or other hardware interface. In addition to small screens, smartwatches also generally have fewer and smaller hardware buttons and switches than other mobile devices, which further limits the data input capabilities of a smartwatch. Therefore, entering a confirmation code or an authentication number to confirm a contactless data exchange on a smartwatch can be problematic.
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods, systems and devices for data communication between devices and an access device. Embodiments of the invention address these and other problems, individually and collectively.